Tag Archives: Texas news

Wildfire Relief: Texas Rallies for Palo Pinto County Firefighters

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The State of Texas has certainly seen its fair share of wildfire damages already this year – and it’s only just July. With temperatures on the rise and dry and windy conditions expected for much of the state, the risk of fire is eminent.

As a way to honor those who have dedicated their lives and their time to battling the wicked flames, benefits and charity events are springing up across Texas. Recently, the Houston Chronicle shared an amazing event, set to take place this coming weekend:

Singers Pat Green and Lee Ann Womack will be headlining a benefit this Saturday which will honor and support the North Texas fire departments whose resources have since been depleted after the massive spring wildfires.

The Buckets and Boots event, will take place near the Palo Pinto County town of Graford, about 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Palo Pinto County is home to Possum Kingdom Lake, where earlier spring wildfires – spanning roughly 150,000 acres – devastated the popular recreation area. Nearly 160 homes were also destroyed by the flames.

The concert is meant to celebrate the firefighters as well as help raise money for the departments to buy new equipment and support the local economy. Tickets are $100 each. Admission for firefighters and police is free.

Want to know more? Visit the Buckets and Boots website to check out the concert lineup, view the event’s sponsors and learn more about Texas wildfire relief.

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Texas Texting While Driving Ban: What It Means For You

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As Americans, there are two things we all universally love: driving and staying in touch. Since cell phones have increased in popularity over the last decade, the use of mobile phones while driving has also increased. Unfortunately, car accidents caused by cell phone usage are also rising at an alarming rate, with 28% of all accidents being caused while using a mobile phone.

The Texas Senate recently approved a measure that would ban texting, sending emails and instant messages while driving. According to state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, “texting while driving is 23 times more dangerous than non-distracted driving and 17 times more dangerous than talking on the phone while driving“.

So what does this mean for Texas drivers?

Texas drivers are not only responsible for their own safety, but also for the well-being of other drivers and pedestrians. As a result of the new law, Texas drivers will now be held accountable if they are involved in an accident while texting.

How can you properly protect yourself? To begin, drivers should make it a top priority to ensure that they have the most effective vehicle coverage, before heading out onto the road.  As a licensed driver, it’s important for you to understand the different coverages available through your Texas auto insurance policy:

  • Liability: insurance for property damage and injuries to others caused by you while operating your vehicle
  • Medical: overage for the driver and occupants of the insured vehicle.
  • Collision: insures the owner from loss during a collision with another vehicle.
  • Comprehensive: protection from damage caused by things other than vehicle collision.

Having the correct – and necessary - insurance is the first step drivers can take to help safeguard themselves, their vehicles and others with whom they share the road.

With new driving laws frequently being passed, it’s important that you have the right coverage to protect yourself from any consequences. Dagley Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. understands the risks involved with driving and want to ensure that no Texas driver is left behind!

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Texas Hurricane Preparedness Week Scheduled for May 22-28, 2011

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Every year the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Emergency Management Coordinators and officials within the local jurisdictions join forces to recognize Hurricane Preparedness Week.

According to the Old River-Winfree Community News Blog, this year’s events are set to take place from May 22 through May 28, 2011.

The week acts as an incredible opportunity to build public awareness and reminds residents living in evacuation zones to learn their evacuation routes in advance, before a storm strikes. Being fully prepared for hurricane season is especially critical for coastal Texans—since damages are still being taken care of from previous storms like Hurricane Ike—acting as a unfortunate reminder of how powerful these seasonal storms can get.

Hurricane Preparedness Week is also meant to encourage the general public to double check and re-stock their emergency supply kits. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, emergency preparedness supplies should include:

  • First Aid Kit; including prescription medications, eyeglasses, copies of prescriptions, hearing aids, batteries, other special medical items
  • Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence, information to process insurance claims
  • Credit cards and cash (in the event that the power is out, banks & ATMs may not be available)
  • Battery-operated radio, NOAA Weather Radio and extra batteries
  • Road maps, travel plans
  • 3-day supply of non-perishable food, one gallon of bottled water per person per day
  • Manual can opener, knife, tools, fire extinguisher, flashlight, duct tape, tools, etc.
  • Extra keys
  • Blankets, pillows, extra clothing, etc.
  • Toilet paper, personal hygiene products
  • And more…

Hurricane Preparedness Week is a wonderful resource for all Texans who may have questions about how they can best prepare for hurricane season and the potential for devastating storms. If you have further questions about how you can protect yourself, your property and inevitable help safeguard your future, please do not hesitate to contact Dagley Insurance & Financial Services; we’d be happy to help!

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Texas Homeowners Still Struggling With Wildfires, As Dry Weather Continues to Fan Flames

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According to a recent Associated Press news story, picked up by The Washington Post, hundreds of Texas firefighters are continuing their fight—battling a seemingly endless wave of wildfires that have been burning through West Texas for the past week.

Forecasters offered little hope of salvation, with only a slight chance of rain near the end of this week; leaving firefighters and residents to face the flames the hard way.

Hundreds of Texas homes and weekend retreats within the area remain in danger—with three minor fires expected to combine into one massive threat.

This dry spell, one of the longest and strongest in Texas history, has left the majority of the state in extreme drought. Wildfires in various parts of the state have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land in the past week—an area that combined would be the size of Rhode Island.

The fires are driving Texas homeowners from their properties; and along the shore of the North Texas Lake, Possum Kingdom Reservoir, at least 18 homes and 2 churches have been burned.

With death, injury and destruction resulting from these terrible fires, the team at Dagley Insurance and Financial Services send our thoughts and prayers to those who have been affected by the devastation.

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Katy Texas Cheer for Charity Showcase Raises $3,000

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Earlier this week, high school cheerleaders, coaches and mascots joined together for the first-ever Katy ISD Cheer for Charity Showcase.

The event allowed for squads to join forces in an attempt to raise money for the Texas Children’s Hospital  West Campus – and they proves quite successful, raising just over $3,000 for playrooms at the facility.

Approximately 650 patrons attended the Katy TX event, which featured varsity and junior varsity cheerleading squads, representing each of the Katy ISD high schools. Each of the high school’s mascots also joined in on the fun, taking part in a combined performance.

Katy TX Cheer for Charity

Image via Katy Times

“It was good to see the cheerleaders and mascots from all schools congratulating each other on their performances at the end of the evening,” Bob Bryant, Katy ISD Director of Fine Arts, told the Katy Times. “This is another example that shows that, though we have many schools here, Katy ISD is one community working together.”

During the planning and organization of the fundraising event, cheerleading coaches from all campuses created a list of popular charity choices, submitted by their squads, and voted on who would be the final recipient—the resulting choice being the Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

“I think it was perfect timing with the opening of the west campus,” stated Amy McConnell, psychology teacher and cheerleading coach at Taylor High School. “Plus, it’s great to see students doing something for the youth in this community.”

According to the Katy Times, a check presentation to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus is scheduled for Monday, April 11.

– For more local news and events, remember to stay tuned to Dagley Insurance & Financial Services!

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